Most people have problems getting fitted sheets big enough to fit on
the newer really thick mattresses. But I have the opposite problem:
I bought a terrific new set of sheets from Overstock, really high
thread count - they feel wonderful. But I have a mattress that is
normal size, but these newer sheets are made for the extra thick
ones. The result is that the sheet wrinkles a lot. I'm wondering how
to alter it?

Maybe I have to cut off the elastic and make the "skirt" narrowe -
would that do it?

I had this problem for sheets that I bought and the problem was solved
by the great posters here. I've found the solution in Google Groups
archive from 2004 and have posted it here.

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I have sheets that are too large, too, and just sewed up two corners.
It
doesn't matter that the corners are "even" all around, since no one
will
ever see that one end has a seam larger than the other end. You will
even forget about it eventually.

The way I did it was to turn the sheet inside out, and fold along the
seam. I just stitched a deeper seam. It worked great, and no more
swearing when I should be calm and ready for a restful night's
sleep. ;->

Thanks for the post, Karen.
Now for the hard part: How to fold a fitted sheet into a neat bundle
like a top sheet so it sits nicely on a shelf. I saw Martha Stewart do
it once, but I couldn't keep up with her.

Our solution is plan B: Take it directly from the dryer and install it
on the bed.
JPBill

It takes a bit of fiddling but fitted sheets can be folded neatly.
About the best way I can describe it is all the corners fit into one
corner and then the sheet is smoothed as much as possible; then begin
to neatly fold the sheet. I can get my fitted sheet to be almost the
same size as the flat sheet once it's folded. I wish I had a video to
show you how easily it is done.

being basicly lazy, i buy sheet suspenders for my bed with the
thinner mattress. you could easily make some, as well. they're
a piece of 1" elastic with clips on either end, like the old-
fashioned mitten clips. you clip them across the corners of
the sheets under the matress. they also work for making a flat
sheet stay put as a bottom sheet.
for my son's bed, which has a 2" memory foam mattress topper
instead of a mattress, i have 2 long adjustable elastic straps
with clips on both ends that run lengthwise under the
mattress. the sheets wrinkle a bit from the side edges, but
not too badly. if i was going to use that style on a double or
larger mattress, i'd run 2 top to bottom & 2 side to side...
in fact, since most of the sheets i've bought in the past 2
years have dead elastic on the bottom sheets after 2 washes, i
may do this anyway...
i also use the long elastic ones to keep the tablecloth on my
dining room table, despite a very wiggly child :)

lee

--
Last night while sitting in my chair
I pinged a host that wasn't there

Sometimes, if I am rushed and don't have the time to shop for just the
clips, I pick up a set of fasteners for the ironing board and just add the
extra elastic in the middle.
They work wonderful for crib sheets, as well as bed sheets.
Emily

One of the posts I read hear said something about taking a tuck - it
wasn't really clear, but I decided to do that because if it didn't
work, I could rip it out (used a long stitch to make that easier). I
turned up the elastic about 4", right sides together and then stitched
about 1 1/2" from the fold to make a 3" tuck all around, matching the
corner seams. And it works perfectly--the sheet fits much better
now. The seam line barely shows at the side because it's covered by
the edge of the base (no box spring).